SHUTDOWNLOCAL

A note taped to the door on the state's Lawrence Job Service Center, 833 Ohio, reads "The (Kansas) Department of Human Resources is dedicated to providing equal services to everyone."

What the sign doesn't say is that since Tuesday, unemployment benefits are available to no one, thanks to the federal government shutdown.

On Tuesday, 400 state employees were furloughed and unemployment benefits were suspended because of the federal budget impasse.

Locally, only one, part-time employee in the Lawrence Job Service Center was affected by the furlough, said human resources department representative Angela Goering.

However, Goering did not immediately have statistics on how many people who live in Douglas County and commute to state offices in Topeka were affected.

An employee at the local job service center referred all questions to Goering. The office was closed at 5 p.m. Tuesday.

Goering said the Lawrence office would "not significantly" be affected by the furlough but pointed out that no one would be able to file for unemployment.

"People who go to the Lawrence office to file for unemployment will be affected, obviously," she said.

About 19,000 Kansans receive $3 million in unemployment insurance every week.

Goering did not immediately know how many people file in Lawrence or the amount paid locally per week.

Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Nancy Kassebaum, R-Kan., said in a prepared statement that she hoped the U.S. House would follow the Senate in passing a measure to reopen government offices until at least Jan. 12.

Late Tuesday afternoon, the Senate approved a continuing resolution providing funds for government agencies to operate through Jan. 12 or until Congress and the president reach agreement on the overall budget bill.

"This was a sensible solution to an impasse that was growing increasingly irrational," she said. "Clearly people who are unemployed, children on welfare, senior citizens and federal workers should not be punished for the failure of Congress and the president to reach a budget agreement."